1.
The present report is submitted in compliance with General Assembly
resolution 66/253 B of 3 August 2012, in which the Secretary-General
was requested to report to the Assembly, within 15 days, on the
implementation of the resolution. The report provides an update on
the implementation of the political, security, humanitarian and human
rights aspects of the resolution during the period from 3 to 17
August.

2.
The overall situation in the Syrian Arab Republic continued to
deteriorate during the reporting period, with the most intense
fighting seen to date taking place in Aleppo. The Government of the
Syrian Arab Republic and elements of the armed opposition continued
to engage in violent confrontation. The Government remained convinced
that it would be able to succeed militarily against the opposition
and refused to engage in any political dialogue or move forward with
the promised implementation of the six-point plan unless the
opposition lay down arms. The armed opposition was equally convinced
that its military efforts would succeed in toppling the leadership of
the country and refused to accept the Government’s preconditions
for dialogue. Temporary, localized reductions in troop strengths were
seen in some areas although, in others, the conflict intensified.
Armed opposition elements launched offensives in Aleppo and Damascus,
while government forces maintained their use of heavy weapons in and
around population centres and significantly increased the use of
fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in their operations.

3.
The humanitarian situation remained dire and continued to deteriorate
as fighting in and around urban centres increased. The estimated
number of internally displaced persons surpassed 1 million. As at 17
August, more than 170,000 Syrians had sought refuge across
international borders. Such levels of internal and international
displacement, against a backdrop of destruction of civilian
infrastructure and residences in areas of origin, posed significant
problems for many communities across the country. Both Government and
opposition groups continued to commit gross human rights violations.

4.
International diplomatic efforts continued to lack unity and
cohesion, despite some attempts to address the situation in the
Syrian Arab Republic over the past few weeks. The Government of the
Republic of Iran held a meeting of 30 nations on 9 August, and Saudi
Arabia hosted a summit meeting of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation on 14 and 15 August.

II.
Update on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 66/253 B

5.
During the reporting period, I continued to engage Member States and
regional organizations in providing support for the efforts of the
Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab
States to Syria to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
At the same time, the Office of the Joint Special Envoy and the
United Nations Supervision Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic
(UNSMIS) continued to engage in consultations with members of the
Government and members of the opposition, in order to elicit views on
possible arrangements to underpin a peaceful political transition.

6.
In the past few weeks, the political and armed opposition made
several attempts to put forward visions for a transition in the
Syrian Arab Republic, including a proposal by some groups to
establish a transitional government or a government in exile.
However, those plans lacked the necessary broad consensus among the
various groups inside and outside the country, underlining the
opposition’s difficulties in agreeing on an approach to a
transitional process at this stage. The Government also attempted to
begin a political process through the appointment of a Minister for
National Reconciliation to act as an empowered interlocutor. However,
the Minister did not find universal acceptance among the opposition.

7.
Ultimately, these efforts to implement an inclusive, Syrian-led
political transition were overcome by the dramatic change in the
military situation on the ground, which shifted the focus of both
parties away from the kind of political transition envisaged in the
Geneva communiqué of 30 June and the six-point plan endorsed by the
Security Council in its resolution 2042 (2012). Events on the ground
demonstrated that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic remained
convinced of its ability to defeat the opposition militarily. The
Government refused to make the departure of President Assad a
precondition for political dialogue and declined to engage in such a
dialogue until after the culmination of the military operation in
Aleppo. For its part, the Syrian opposition seemed to believe that
the Government had begun a process of collapse, facing additional
high-level defections and a better coordinated opposition. Convinced
that its military efforts would succeed in toppling the current
Syrian leadership, the armed opposition refused to accept the
Government’s preconditions for dialogue and increased its use of
violence, including in major cities, as a means to an end to the
conflict.

8.
I am particularly concerned by reports that outside parties are
participating in providing support, fuelling each side’s reliance
on violence. If these reports are true, those providing weaponry to
the two sides are contributing directly to the deterioration of the
situation on the ground. In some cases, reports of arms shipments
suggest violations of Security Council resolutions adopted under
Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. I call on all
Member States with influence over the Government of the Syrian Arab
Republic or opposition forces to promote a peaceful resolution rather
than the use of force.

9.
During the reporting period, UNSMIS sought to obtain confirmation of
the conditions set out in Security Council resolution 2059 (2012),
while continuing to seek all opportunities for dialogue in support of
the Joint Special Envoy’s six-point plan. The cessation of the use
of heavy weapons and of armed violence by all sides, as set out in
the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the
Joint Special Envoy’s six-point plan and the communiqué of the
Action Group, was not achieved. While there were temporary, localized
reductions in the use of heavy weapons and the level of violence, and
prospects for limited humanitarian pauses increased in Homs, in other
areas of the country, particularly in Aleppo, the conflict
intensified. The use of heavy weapons continued, while troop
withdrawals, where seen, were assessed by UNSMIS to be tactics to
redirect forces in preparation for or in response to confrontations
elsewhere. Opposition armed groups were also reported to have moved
their forces in order to initiate or sustain operations. Two such
instances were the armed opposition-initiated offensives in the
cities of Damascus and Aleppo, which were met by forceful Government
retaliatory operations, involving the use of heavy weapons in densely
populated areas.

10.
UNSMIS observed a situation of variable but continuing conflict, as
well as the ongoing use of artillery, tanks, helicopters and other
aircraft in Deir-ez-Zor, Homs, Rif Damascus and Aleppo. Between 3 and
17 August, rotary wing aircraft were observed firing into Aleppo and
Deir-ez-Zor on four occasions, while fixed- wing aircraft were seen
firing in Homs on 9 August. The reporting period was marked by the
ongoing and sustained military ground operations undertaken in
Aleppo, and shelling was observed in other locations on a regular but
intermittent basis, showing no indication of sustained cessation of
the use of heavy weapons. Small arms clashes initiated by both sides
were also constant across the areas observed by UNSMIS. The use of
improvised explosive devices by the armed opposition also continued,
including an alleged attack on a Syrian television station on 6
August in Damascus and an explosion on 15 August at a military
installation in the vicinity of the UNSMIS headquarters, for which
the opposition claimed responsibility.

11.
In the light of emerging concerns about the threat of the use and
transfer of chemical or biological weapons, on 27 July, I sent a
letter to President Assad, in which I voiced my own grave concerns
and appealed to the President to refrain from using any such weapons
under any circumstances. I emphasized the fundamental responsibility
of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to ensure the safety
and security of any stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction,
including chemical weapons. On 31 July, I received a response from
the Deputy Prime Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, which noted
that the country was party to and abided by the Geneva Protocol (of
17 June 1925) for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating,
Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare.

12.
I am also concerned about the potential for the conflict to
negatively affect the stability of Syria’s neighbours. In that
regard, alarming reports of hostage-taking and retaliatory
kidnappings in the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon have added to
social and regional tensions. The six-point plan demands the release
of persons unjustly detained. It is my firm conviction that all
parties must release persons detained against their will and held
without due process. Hostage-taking by any party is unacceptable. The
human rights of civilians must be scrupulously protected.

13.
I have also seen credible reports of explosives being smuggled from
the Syrian Arab Republic into Lebanon, allegedly with the purpose of
undermining Lebanon’s stability, and of weapons being smuggled into
the Syrian Arab Republic, which contributes to further militarization
of the conflict. I have long expressed concern about the smuggling of
weapons in either direction across the Lebanese-Syrian border, which
is a violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). I call on
all parties to take measures to halt this dangerous and illegal
trade.

14.
The humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic deteriorated
even more significantly during the reporting period. The
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator visited the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon from 13 to
16 August to assess the humanitarian situation and to discuss ways to
increase humanitarian assistance to those in need. The number of
people affected by the conflict has more than doubled since the
initial humanitarian assessment in March 2012. At the time of
writing, United Nations agencies estimated that over 2.5 million
people were in need of humanitarian assistance in the Syrian Arab
Republic, including 1.2 million internally displaced persons. The use
of heavy weapons and artillery in highly populated areas was having a
serious impact on civilians. Although the United Nations was unable
to confirm exact numbers, there were widespread reports of civilians
killed and injured in the fighting. Civilians who had been displaced
and persons living in conflict zones had little or no access to
essential services, including health care and education. Fewer than
56 per cent of primary health facilities and 50 per cent of hospitals
were assessed as still fully functional. Some health facilities were
reportedly occupied or targeted by the parties to the conflict.
Socioeconomic conditions continued to deteriorate, with food prices
tripling in some areas. Serious shortages of fuel and essential
medicines were also reported.

15.
The capacity of host communities in the Syrian Arab Republic to
support persons who had fled from violence was exhausted. As a
result, many internally displaced persons sought shelter in schools,
mosques and other public buildings, which were ill-equipped to host
them. As at 7 August, the Ministry of Education reported that
internally displaced persons were being sheltered in 271 schools
across 12 of the country’s 14 governorates, and close to 9,000 had
sought shelter in 17 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools. They lacked
water and adequate sanitation services and were in urgent need of
non-food items, food and health care. Palestinian and Iraqi refugees
in the Syrian Arab Republic were increasingly affected. UNRWA
estimated that up to 385,000 Palestinian refugees — about 80 per
cent of the Palestinian refugees registered in the Syrian Arab
Republic — had been affected.

16.
A growing number of Syrians sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), there were more than 170,000 refugees registered as
at 17 August, spread across Iraq (15,096), Jordan (46,898), Lebanon
(46,672) and Turkey (61,450). According to the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), three quarters of the refugees were women
and children. Host Governments and UNHCR were providing assistance to
registered refugees. In addition, it was believed that a significant
number of Syrians had crossed to neighbouring countries without
registering as refugees and were staying with relatives or in private
accommodation.

17.
Heightened insecurity continued to impede humanitarian operations
inside Syrian Arab Republic. In Aleppo, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent
reported that it had had to suspend most of its activities owing to
the dangers facing its workers on the ground. It was not possible to
ensure the safety and security of personnel involved in humanitarian
assistance. The World Food Programme (WFP), which planned to provide
food assistance to 850,000 people in July, was unable to reach its
target owing to delays in distribution caused by violence. In Dera’a,
most of UNRWA’s operations were suspended.

18.
Underfunding remained another significant challenge faced by
humanitarian organizations. As at 17 August, the $180 million
humanitarian response plan for the Syrian Arab Republic was 45 per
cent funded, with the water, sanitation and hygiene sector only 20
per cent funded and health care only 30 per cent funded. The plan was
being revised to reflect an increase in the number of individuals
targeted for humanitarian assistance from the original target of 1
million people to 2.5 million people. The $193 million Revised Syria
Regional Response Plan was only 33 per cent funded. The Central
Emergency Response Fund had disbursed $32.6 million as at 17 August
for the response in Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring countries.

19.
Despite these challenges, humanitarian organizations scaled up their
response in both government and opposition-held areas. WFP has
quadrupled the number of people receiving food assistance since March
2012. As at 17 August, non-food items had been provided to more than
270,000 people and the World Health Organization (WHO) had given
health kits to the Ministry of Health and the Syrian Arab Red
Crescent to cover the health needs of 700,000 people in 2012. Water
and sanitation services were being provided for internally displaced
persons sites and communities, with 300,000 people assisted in Homs
as at 17 August.

20.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
continued to receive credible reports that both Government and armed
opposition forces were acting in breach of international human rights
and humanitarian law. Arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and
extrajudicial executions by government forces continued to be
reported. Restrictions on access to health care, attacks on
hospitals, and military occupation of health facilities or detention
and arrest of medical personnel by Government forces continued to
aggravate the humanitarian situation. At the same time, there were
increasing reports of abductions, torture and ill- treatment,
extrajudicial killings and summary executions of captured Government
forces, pro-Government militia and civilians by armed opposition
groups. A recent incident was the abduction of four journalists of a
pro-Government television station, one of whom was killed and the
rest released, and the killing of another journalist working for a
State-run television station by the Free Syrian Army on 10 and 11
August, respectively. OHCHR also received reports that armed
opposition groups were deploying snipers who targeted civilians.
Reports that armed opposition groups were taking on judicial
functions through the so-called “Religious Justice Council” and
handing down death sentences was of deep concern. Both parties to the
conflict violated the rights of children. In OHCHR’s estimation,
the serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by
Government and armed opposition forces may amount to war crimes.

21.
The overall escalation in hostilities restricted the ability of
UNSMIS to implement the full scope of its mandated responsibilities
and necessitated the temporary withdrawal of half of its original
military observer contingent, with a further reduction to 100
observers between 10 and 13 August. In that context, UNSMIS was
unable to verify information reported on the parties’ violations of
human rights, including acts of sexual violence, continued arbitrary
detentions and alleged summary executions. The mission nevertheless
sought to assess the impact of the conflict on civilians where
possible, conducting visits to observe the status and conditions of
medical facilities in some areas, and visiting areas with
concentrations of internally displaced persons. UNSMIS witnessed
shortages of medical supplies at hospitals and difficult conditions
at internally displaced persons camps, including a lack of food and
basic services. It also visited the Homs prison in order to assess
the situation after violence at the site. With the exception of Homs,
the mission has had only limited access to current detainees and has
had difficulty engaging with released detainees owing to the security
situation.

22.
Requests for visits to the Syrian Arab Republic by special procedures
mandate- holders of the Human Rights Council, including the Special
Rapporteur on the right to freedom of association and peaceful
assembly and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally
displaced persons remained pending. However, on 3 August, the
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic responded to a request for a
visit by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions and noted that it viewed positively his proposal
to visit the country to offer recommendations within his mandate.

23.
Despite the visit of the Chair of the independent international
commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic to Damascus from 23
to 25 June to discuss the commission’s work with the Syrian
authorities, the commission was not granted access to the country to
fulfil its mandate. Despite access limitations, the commission is to
present its report, published on 15 August (A/HRC/21/50), at the
twenty-first session of the Human Rights Council in September 2012. A
confidential list of individuals and units believed to be responsible
for crimes against humanity, breaches of international humanitarian
law and gross human rights violations will be provided to the High
Commissioner for Human Rights at the close of the commission’s
current mandate in September.

III.
Conclusions

24.
The United Nations remains committed to assisting the Syrian people
in building a Syrian-led alternative to the use of force and in
determining a path, backed by united international support, to come
to the negotiating table and move towards a democratic, plural
political system, with equal rights for all. The resolutions of the
Security Council and the General Assembly continue to provide the
basis for the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy to focus on a
political transition, while also working towards the achievement of a
cessation of violence in the Syrian Arab Republic through the full
implementation of the six-point plan.

25.
Moving forward, I will continue to work with all parties to bring
about an early resolution of the conflict and an end to violence.
Within the constraints imposed by the conditions on the ground, the
United Nations country team will continue its important work in
helping to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and the
United Nations humanitarian agencies will remain active. The United
Nations cannot discontinue its support and assistance in helping the
Syrian people find an end to the crisis. Rather, we must adapt to the
situation while pursuing our efforts to support the Syrians in taking
the steps that they identify towards a negotiated and inclusive
political settlement.

26.
Political efforts to mitigate and contain the worst effects of the
conflict are a priority, while we also work to ultimately help the
parties to resolve the crisis. One of the greatest risks is a descent
into a full-scale civil war. United Nations engagement with all
sectors of Syrian society, including women and young people, to
develop channels of communication across communal divides and,
potentially, build areas of consensus, is essential for finding ways
to protect communities from the worst effects of a civil war. This
should be considered one of the most urgent priorities of the United
Nations.

27.
It is our responsibility to do all we can to stop the violence among
the Syrian people and to assist them in reconciling their differences
so that they can build a future that meets their legitimate
aspirations. While we mobilize the United Nations system to support
the people of the Syrian Arab Republic, we must remind the parties
and, above all, the Government, that they have the primary
responsibility for resolving the crisis that is currently devastating
their country.

28.
All parties to the conflict are conducting military operations within
heavily populated areas with blatant disregard for their obligations
under international humanitarian law. Specifically, the Syrian
authorities did not make the first step in the cessation of violence.
While the Government has the primary responsibility to protect
civilians, the armed opposition also has legally binding obligations
under international law in that regard. Forces deployed in populated
areas must not locate military objectives in or around population
centres and must ensure that any use of force is in line with the
principles of proportionality and distinction. Both parties have an
obligation to take the necessary precautions to minimize injury and
death among civilians and damage to civilian objects. All
perpetrators of international crimes and other gross human rights
violations, including acts of sexual violence, should be held
accountable, irrespective of their affiliation.

29.
I am extremely concerned about the continuing militarization of the
conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, which has grave humanitarian
consequences. I appeal to outside parties, especially the regional
countries, and emphasize their responsibility to do all they can to
end this trend. I call on the Security Council and the General
Assembly to work in search of a common ground to help the Syrian
people to end the violence and start charting a way towards an
inclusive, peaceful and democratic future. I once again urge the
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the armed opposition to
abandon a military solution, cease military activities, engage in
dialogue, protect civilians, and abide by their obligations under
international human rights and humanitarian law. I urge all parties,
especially the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, to ensure full
and unconditional humanitarian access, without delay, to those in
need.

30.
In conclusion, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Joint
Special Envoy Annan, who embarked on his challenging assignment with
courage and determination and sought to unite the world around key
principles for ending the suffering in the Syrian Arab Republic and
charting a way towards a Syria that meets the aspirations of its
people and preserves its institutions, unity and territorial
integrity. The important work he has undertaken must continue. I also
express my deep appreciation to the military observers and civilian
staff of UNSMIS and to the United Nations country team in the Syrian
Arab Republic for their dedicated work under challenging conditions.

31.
In the light of Mr. Annan’s decision to step down at the end of
August 2012, in consultation with Secretary General Nabil Elaraby of
the League of Arab States, I appointed Lakhdar Brahimi as Joint
Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab
States for Syria on 17 August. I appreciate Mr. Brahimi’s
willingness to bring his considerable talents and experience to the
crucial task of ending the violence and the suffering in the Syrian
Arab Republic, for which he will need, and rightly expects, the
strong, clear and unified support of the international community,
including the Security Council and the General Assembly. Diplomacy to
promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Syrian Arab
Republic remains a top priority for the United Nations. More fighting
and militarization will only exacerbate the suffering and make the
path to a peaceful resolution of the crisis in accordance with the
legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people more difficult.